HALLE (Germany), June 16: Newly-crowned French Open champion Rafael Nadal’s start to the grasscourt season at Halle Open was cut short when the top seed crashed out in the quarter-finals to Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber on Friday.

Kohlschreiber, ranked 28 in the world and the defending champion, notched up his first-ever victory over Nadal in nine encounters, winning 6-3, 6-4.

Second seed and five-time champion Roger Federer survived 25 aces from Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic in a come-from-behind 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 win.

Federer will next face Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny, who he has beaten in their last 12 meetings, while Kohlschreiber will take on Germany’s former world No 2 Tommy Haas who beat Czech third seed Tomas Berdych 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding): Quarter-finals: Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 3-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-4 3-6 7-5; 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 5-Milos Raonic (Canada) 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3); 8-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat 1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) 6-3 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-4 4-6 6-4.

DIMITROV BOOKS LAST-FOUR SPOT

LONDON: Grigor Dimitrov cried when he won his quarter-final in the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Queen’s Club on Friday.

The 21-year-old Bulgarian, ranked 72 in the world, has never won a tour title and set up a semi-final clash against Argentina’s David Nalbandian by beating South Africa’s world No 30 Kevin Anderson 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

With the top seeds Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga already out and No 3 Janko Tipsarevic joining them earlier on Friday after losing a third-round encounter to Lu Yen-Hsun, it was left to the lesser lights to entertain on the West London grass.

Results: Quarter-finals: Sam Querrey (US) bt Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; 10-David Nalbandian (Argentina) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4; 6-Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-4, 2-0 – Yen-Hsun retired; Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) bt 9-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Third round: Nalbandian bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Yen-Hsun bt 3-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5).

RAIN HOLDS UP ZHENG’S BID

BIRMINGHAM (England): Zheng Jie was forced to wait until Saturday to complete her Birmingham WTA grasscourt quarter-final against Roberta Vinci when rain halted the tie with the Chinese player 6-3, 5-6 ahead.

Zheng, the world No 32, had served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.

Only one match was completed on Friday as Misaki Doi of Japan wrapped up a 6-4, 7-5 win over Stephanie Foretz-Gacon in a third round tie suspended midway through the second set on Thursday.—Agencies